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Oralhealth for Better Health

Quality Of Care Report 2009

Competition: movie tiCkets to be Won!

Noni HazlehurstMuch more than a friendly smile

Ron BarassiKicking goals for good health

Julie BainX-ray vision

Jacqueline WatkinsBridges cultural differences

Tips from our principal

oral healTh advisor

2 Quality of Care Report 2009

Welcome to the new issue of our magazine Oral Health for Better Health.

This is one of the ways that Dental Health Services Victoria (DHSV) tells the public about what we are doing to improve the oral health of Victorians.

When we asked our readers what they thought of our last issue… • 99%ofrespondentssaidthemagazinewaseasy to read.

• 100%ofrespondentssaidtheyhadlearnt something from reading the magazine.

• Morethan50%ofrespondentswantedtoknow more about DHSV and looking after their teeth.

Thanks for your feedback. We’ve listened to what you’ve said, and in this year’s magazine we have added: • Aneasy-to-readguidetopublicdentalservices in Victoria

• AdvicefromourPrincipalOralHealthAdvisor, ProfessorMikeMorgan,onthebestwaystolook after your teeth and gums

We have kept the magazine informative with stories about our staff and patients, and clear information about how we are performing in our goal of improving oral health for Victorians.

This magazine is for you, so please tell us what you want to know. By completing the feedback form inside you could win yourself a double pass to the movies.

Dr Brian Stagoll Chair DHSV Quality Committee

Contents

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Noni Hazlehurst’s friendly smile is familiar to

mostAustralians.Wegrew up watching her: from The Sullivans to Play School to Better Homes and Gardens, andinaward-winningfilmandtelevisionrolesincluding Little Fish and Nancy Wake. These days she drops into our homes regularly as Detective Superintendent Bernice Waverley in City Homicide. She’s won a swag of awards, and an OrderofAustraliaMedal.

One of Noni’s other leading roles has been as a passionate advocate

We acknowledge the traditional custodians of Australia and we welcome all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to our services.

Aboriginal Flag © Harold Thomas 1971

Oral Health for Better Health is published by Dental Health Services Victoria. It is distributed to visitors to The Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne and community dental clinics throughout Victoria.

Ron Barassi kicks goals for oral health

Cleaning up? Meettheexpert

Quality of Care Report See how we’re doing

Follow two patients on their appointments

What’s oral medicine? DrNicoleHeaphyexplains

X-rayvision Julie Bain’s special touch

ProfessorMikeMorgan shares his top tips for good oral health

4

5

Our Cover

PhotocourtesyofChannelSeven

for children’s wellbeing -she’sbeenofficialambassador for a number of children’s welfare agencies, including BarnardosAustralia.

“I’ve tried to contribute to projects that can make the world a better place forchildren-Ithinkthiscan only make it a better place for us all”, says Noni.

With her two sons showing signs of following her into the performing arts, looking and feeling healthy is a priority in Noni’s household.

“I almost never buy sweet biscuits or junk food, and Christmas is about the only time you’ll findfizzydrinksinourfridge,” says Noni.

Noni has been an outspoken critic of some of the material that appears on television for children, and she sympathises with parents trying to keep their kids on a healthy diet.

“We face a lot of pressure from advertisers to buy poor quality food and drink. It’s OK to have the occasional treat, but treats should not be regular shopping list items,” says Noni.

Noni believes it’s crucial that we help children to establish healthy habits that will last throughout their lives.

“Parentsneedtoteachtheir children to brush their teeth morning and night,” says Noni. “It prevents tooth decay and stops bacteria entering the rest of the body. We want tooth brushing to bealife-longhabitforchildren – to help protect not only their teeth, but their overall health.”

DHSV thanks Noni for volunteering her support to our vision of oral health for better health for the Victorian community.

Jacqueline and her family have settled in Melbourne.

Jacqueline helps Aboriginal voices to be heard

A descendant of the Jingili people from Elliott in

the Northern Territory, Jacqueline Watkins has worked throughout the Northern Territory, South AustraliaandQueenslandin her mission to improve indigenous health and education.

Now she’s settled with her three children in

Melbourneandisworkingwith the Victorian Koori community to improve access to regular dental treatment and oral health advice.

“Like most areas of health, there is great inequality in oral health between indigenous and non-indigenouspeople,”says Jacqueline. “So I wasveryexcitedtobegiven the opportunity to make a difference to this situation when I was appointedAboriginalCommunity Development Worker at Dental Health

Services Victoria in early 2009.”

The results of Jacqueline’s work are already beginning to show with a doubling of the number ofAboriginalpeoplebeingreferred for and receiving dental treatment.

“Abigpartofmyroleis building relationships between community health services, hospitals and government departments, to make sure there are systems in place to refer and treat Aboriginalpeople,and

Bridging differences

AuntiDoreenGarveyWandinisanelderoftheWurundjeri-Wandoon people. In June 2009 she conducted a Welcome to CountryceremonyforTheRoyalDentalHospitalofMelbourne,giving it the blessing of the land’s traditional owners, the Wurundjeri people, and unveiling a plaque of recognition.

DHSVChiefExecutive,FelixPintado,saidtheceremonywasan important sign of respect for the Wurundjeri people, and a messagethatDHSVisseriousaboutworkingwithAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderpeopletofindwaysofimprovingoralhealth in their communities.

TRaDiTiONal CeReMONy ATTHEROyAlDENTAlHOSPITAlOFMElBOuRNE

Felix Pintado DHSV Chief Executive, and Natalie Savin previously DHSV Board Chair, with Aunti Doreen Garvey Wandin.

toensurethatAboriginalpatients don’t fall through the cracks after their firstappointment.”

Jacqueline has also been working closely with staff at The Royal Dental HospitalofMelbourneto support them in working effectively and sensitivelywithAboriginalpatients, many of whom are coming to the dental hospitalforthefirsttime.

“We are making the dental hospital a more welcoming environment forAboriginalpeople,so that people feel comfortable and entitled to seek care here,” says Jacqui. “The Welcome to Country ceremony held in June 2009 was an important symbol of DHSV’s commitment to caring forAboriginalpeople.”

Jacqui is currently playing an instrumental role in setting up DHSV’s new AboriginalOralHealthReferenceGroup.

“This group will be a vital stakeholder in DHSV’s strategic planning. We will be able to give advice and feedback on how new initiatives are actually working at the community level.ItisreallyexcitingformethatAboriginalvoices will be part of DHSV’s planning process.”

Oralhealth for better health 3


Victorian of the Year and AFL legend Ron Barassi is helping to improve the oral heath of people in residential services.


A round 2,000 people live in pension-levelSupportedResidential Services in

Victoria. They are people with disabilities, psychiatric conditions or frailty who need support for daily living.

ASupportedResidentialService(SRS)isaprivately-ownedbusinessthat provides accommodation and specialcaretoresidents.Mostresidentsinpension-levelSRSshave very little disposable income and many have social or physical limitations. These factors combine tomakeresidentsextremelyvulnerable to poor oral health.

Inthe2007-08budget,theVictorianGovernmentgave$1.9million to be spent over the nextfouryearstoimprovetheoralhealthofpension-levelSRSresidents. The DHSV oral health promotion team is playing an important part in the project.

MeaganChiuchiarelliisaDHSVhealth promotion project

coordinator. She is overseeing the delivery of free oral hygiene products and health education sessions to SRS residents.

“Allpension-levelSRSresidentsacross Victoria were given oral hygiene products that are considered necessary for basic oral care, such as toothbrushes, toothpasteanddentalfloss,”saysMeagan.“We’vealsorunoralhealtheducation sessions with residents, improving their knowledge about healthy food and how to keep their mouths clean.”

To help residents remember these health messages, DHSV has produced a new DVD, Healthy Choices for Healthy Mouths, presented by Ron Barassi specificallyforpension-level SRS residents.

“Ron Barassi is a great role model and his commitment to living a healthy life is inspiring,” says Meagan.“Hehashelpedustocreate a health promotion tool that

residents will want to watch into the future.”

The Victorian Government provides funding through DHSV for pension-level SRS residents to receive priority dental care without paying a co-payment at 28 community health agencies around Victoria.

Staff in the emergency department of The Royal Dental HospitalofMelbournetreatpatients with mouth injuries, swollen faces and severe bleeding. Cases are prioritised to make sure the most urgent patientsareseenfirst,ensuringthat everyone gets the quality care they need.

If you have a dental emergency call 1300 360 054.

My son has fallen and loosened his front teeth”

Kicking goals for oral health Vulnerable Victorians get support from Ron Barassi

Drinking tap water is one way SRS resident Loretta is looking after her teeth.

To The Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne,

I would like to thank the staff at The Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne emergency department for the efficient, polite and friendly service they provided to me and my son today.

I rang the emergency department at 2.05pm when my five-year-old son, Alexander, fell from playground equipment and loosened his two top front teeth. The woman in triage was calm, polite, pleasant and helpful. She sought advice from a dentist about whether I should come in, and gave me all the information I needed.

On my arrival, the receptionist was lovely. She warmly greeted my son, who was pale and bloodied, and made him feel comfortable. There was minimal paperwork and fuss.

The dentist and dental nurse helped Alexander to relax in an environment which could have been intimidating. The dentist explained everything to me, and the nurse had Alex smiling in seconds.

Yours sincerely,

Heather

“

PhotocourtesyFairfaxPhotos

Aregistereddivisiononenurse,withqualificationsin infection control and operating room nursing, Vicky knows that it can bethesmallest-evenmicroscopic-thingsthatmake a difference to a patient’s health.

Vicky and her team are responsible for sterilising an average of 72,000 items a month for use by clinicians at The Royal Dental Hospital ofMelbourne.

“Weoperate365daysa year,” says Vicky. “We make sure all instruments and equipment are sterilised and ready for

use within the hospital’s 139dentalchairs,daysurgery theatres, and by domiciliary services and outlying clinics.”

Instruments are housed within individual clinics, used and then transported to the sterilising department by a ‘dirty’ lift. There the instruments are washed, thermally disinfected, packaged, sterilised and stored or returned to the clinical areas ready for use.

“Wecheck,double-checkandtriple-checkourwork,” says Vicky. “Every day we carry out quality tests on all equipment.

Learning how to make a difference TheRoyalDentalHospitalofMelbourneprovidescrucialhands-onexperienceforstudentsinthefinalyearsoftheirdegreesatTheuniversityofMelbournedental school, and also for dental assistants and prosthetistsstudyingatRMITuniversity.

In the undergraduate teaching clinic on the second floorofthehospital,patientscanreceivetreatment free of charge if they choose to, as long as their conditions are assessed as being suitable for student treatment. Working under the close supervision ofexperiencedandfully-qualifieddentalprofessionals, the students not only deliver quality clinical care, but also learn about people, life and making a difference.

“Wecheck,double-checkand triple-checkourwork.” - Vicky Siler, central sterilising services department

Vicky and her team clean upAttentiontodetailcomesnaturally to Vicky Siler who heads up the central sterilising services department at The RoyalDentalHospitalofMelbourne.

“We also do audits on sterilisers and other equipment to ensure that every item processed reaches the required temperature at the correct pressure for the required amount of time in order for sterilisation to be achieved.”

The sterilising department is required to meet therelevantAustralianStandards in order to maintain its accreditation withtheAustralian

Council on Healthcare Standards. It conducts yearly steam quality tests and validates its sterilisers. It also undergoes a comprehensive yearly audit carried out by the infection control team at The Royal Dental Hospital ofMelbourne.

“I’m proud to say that we have passed all our audit testswithflyingcolours,”says Vicky.

To the manager of the undergraduate teaching clinic,I thought it was the least I could do to voice my opinion about the knowledge and service the students have provided for me. They saw my despair at the condition of my teeth and were compassionate and very understanding and offered to repair what they could. I am very impressed with their service and care and also with Dr Isabella Edwards for her hands-on management of the clinic. I look forward to seeing the students every time I have an appointment because they listen and understand.

Congratulations on educating these students. They all deserve credit. Yours sincerely,Yotta

Dr Isabella Edwards supervises students

in the Undergraduate Teaching Clinic.


Feedback from our patientsDHSV welcomes all patient feedback, whether in the form ofacomplaint,acomplimentorasuggestion.Mostofthe compliments we received over the past year were about how well patients felt they were treated by staff.

TheRoyalDentalHospitalofMelbournereceived17%lesscomplaintsin2008/09thantheyearbefore.Fromthe49,534peoplewhoweretreatedatthehospital,264(0.5%)complaintswerereceived.

Complaints are grouped as follows:

access -thesecomplaintsaregenerallyaboutthetimespent waiting in the waiting room or a delay before the nextbookedappointment.

administrative practices -thesecomplaintscaninvolve misunderstandings in billing practices or in other written communications to consumers.

Customer service -thesecomplaintsincludeconsumers encountering less than satisfactory customer service.

Patient rights -thesecomplaintsrelatetoapatient’srightstoconfidentialityandtobeingfullyinformedoftreatment needs.

Treatment -thesecomplaintsaredirectlyrelatedtothe treatment provided; they range from consumer expectationsnotbeingmettotreatmentcosts.

CleaningTheDepartmentofHealthbenchmarkforexternalcleaningauditsis85%.TheRoyalDentalHospitalofMelbourneexceededthatbenchmarkwithascoreof95.2%.Thedentalhospitalhasconsistentlyexceededthis benchmark since 2006.

Quality of Care Report 2009


Patient incidentsWe investigate any incident that could affect patient safety.Mostincidentsareabouttemporaryproblemssuch as a ‘bitten lip’ following a local anaesthetic injection, or a change in feeling in the mouth after a wisdom tooth is removed.

Inthepastyearonlyonefifthofapercent(0.2%) of the total number of patients who visited the dental hospital were involved in an incident. We tracked all reported incidents to make sure that the patients receivedtherightfollow-upcare,andweexaminedeachincident to see if there was a way we could do things differently in the future.

accreditationAccreditationiswhenateamfromtheAustralianCouncilonHealthcareStandards(ACHS)visitsahospitaltocheckon the safety and quality of its services and compares thehospitalwithotherhospitalsaroundAustralia.TheRoyalDentalHospitalofMelbournewentthroughafullaccreditation survey in December 2007 and is due for a shorterfollow-upvisitinNovember2009.

Getting treatmentThe length of time that people waited for general and denture treatment in Victorian public dental clinics rose overthelast12months.Thelengthoftimethatpeoplewaited for appointments with specialists went down.

Emergency patients and priority patients were seen at thenextavailableappointment,with80%ofemergencypatients treated within 24 hours.

average time waited statewide in 2008/09 for non-emergency and non-priority cases

Complaint by category

Administration practices 9%

Customer service 22%

Patient rights 1%

Treatments 31%Access 37%

20

18

16

14

12

10

8

6

4

2

-Jul Oct JanAug Nov FebSep Dec Mar Jun

Months

Apr May

General

Denture

Specialist

Target85%DHSVCleaningAuditResult

May09

Nov08

May08

Nov 07

May07

Nov 06

May06

0% 10% 40% 70%20% 50% 80%30% 60% 90%100%

2. Dentures re-made within 12 months

lessthan4%ofdenturesmadebyTheRoyalDentalHospitalofMelbourneneededtobere-made,eventhoughmoredenturesweremadein2008-09thaninthe previous year.

6.0%

5.0%

4.0%

3.0%

2.0%

1.0%

0.0%2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08

Clinical indicatorsWe record the number of patients we treat and the results of their treatment. These are called clinical indicators.Mostindicatorslookatwhetherpatientshavehadtoreturnfortreatmentunexpectedly.Theclinical indicators show that The Royal Dental Hospital ofMelbournedeliveredexcellentqualitytreatmentoverthelast12months.

1. Teeth re-treated within six months of restoration

15,670fillings(restorations)wereplacedlast year,withlessthan5%ofthesefillingsneedingto be replaced.

3. Unplanned return within seven days after extraction

16,496teethwereextractedlastyear,withlessthan1%ofthesepatientsneedingtoreturntothehospitalduetounexpectedreasons.

4. Repeat endodontic treatment within six months

121patientshadendodontic(rootcanal)treatmentinthe2008calendaryear,withonlyoneofthesepatientsneeding to return for further care.

5. extraction within 12 months of endodontic treatment

154patientshadendodontic(rootcanal)treatmentduringthe2007-08financialyear,withonlytwoofthesepatientsneedingtohavethetoothextractedwithin12months.

6. Repeat emergency care within 28 days

14,918patientsreceivedemergencytreatment,withlessthan1percentofthesepatientsneedingtoreturnwithin28daysforrepeattreatment.

Totalextractionsunplannedreturnwithinsevendaysfollowingextraction

18,000

16,000

14,000

12,000

10,000

8,000

6,000

4,000

2,000

-2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09

Total endodontic treatmentEndodonticre-treatmentwithin sixmonths

250

200

150

100

50

-2005 2006 2007 2008

Total emergency episodesRepeat emergency care within 28days

18,000

16,000

14,000

12,000

10,000

8,000

6,000

4,000

2,000

-2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09

7.0%

6.0%

5.0%

4.0%

3.0%

2.0%

1.0%

0.0%2005 2006 2007 2008

2005/06

Total endodontic treatmentExtractionwithin12months following endodontic treatment

250

200

150

100

50

-2004/05 2006/07 2007/08



PATienT JourneysA different view: seeing things through patients’ eyes


Following our patients through their appointments is a way that we can better understand their experiences. In a recent project, staff mapped the journeys of patients in the day surgery unit at The Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne. Here are two examples.

Jodie is 28 years old, lives with her parents on the outskirts of Melbourne, and has cerebral palsy. She often uses a wheelchair to get around but can walk short distances. She needs to have four wisdom teeth removed under general anaesthetic.

5am: Jodie and her mum wake early in order to arrive on time for Jodie’s appointment. It takes an hour and a half to drive to Melbourne.Theyparkinthedisabled parking area in Lynch Street.

7am: Jodie and her mum wait in receptionforfiveminutes.Staffcheck their appointment information and ask them to wait in the waiting area.

7.20am:AnursetakesJodietotheconsultation room for admission. Because Jodie has allergies she is given a red hat and wristbands with allergy information. Her blood pressure is taken.

7.40am: Jodie says that she does not feel comfortable with the gown she is wearing as it opens at the front. She is given a blanket to put over her while she waits and she says she feels better.

8.20am: The oral surgeon introduceshimselfandexplainsthe

procedure.HechecksJodie’sx-raysandexplainshowshemightfeelwhen she wakes up from surgery. HeconfirmsJodie’sconsenttothetreatment with Jodie’s mother.

8.45am:Anaestheticconsultationconducted. Jodie’s mum gives consent for an anaesthetic.

8.55am: The anaesthetic nurse introduces herself and checks Jodie’s wristbands.

9.30am: Jodie walks to the theatre withhermum.Mumstaysinthetheatre for a while then she leaves and is advised the treatment will take an hour.

10.30am:Mumcomestorecoveryarea to see Jodie is still sleeping.

11.50am: Jodie is dressed and sitting in a recliner chair. Instructions are given to her mum on how to look after Jodie’s mouth after the treatment. Jodie is helped back into her wheelchair and heads home.

Peter is 6 years old and was referred to the hospital by his local community dental clinic. His teeth need a lot of work and so he is having a general anaesthetic.

7am: Peterandhismother Karen arrive at the day surgery reception area.

7.20am: They are taken into a consulting room by a nurse who checks the patient information with Karen.PeterandKarenareshownto the children’s play area.

8.15am: The anaesthetist arrives in the children’s play area and takesPeterandKarenbacktothe consulting rooms where she explainswhatwillhappenduringthe procedure.

8.35am:Peterisgivenapre-medand asked to sit on Karen’s knee.

8.45am: The dentist arrives and introduces herself, and gets consent fromPeter’smothertocarryouttreatment.Peterdozesonatrolleyasthepre-medstartstotakeeffect.

9.15am:ThenursetakesPeterinto the surgical theatre. Karen sits beside the operating table while Peterisanaesthetised.OncePeteris asleep, Karen goes and has a cup of tea in the waiting area.

10.20am:Peteristakenthroughtothe recovery area. The anaesthetist checks on him.

11.05am: Karen is shown into the recovery area. Karen says she was concerned because she had been toldPeter’streatmentwouldtakean hour and it’s nearly two hours since she left him in theatre. Staff reassure her that everything has gone well.

12.45pm:PetersitsonKaren’s lap and has a drink. Nurse goes overpost-operativeinstructionswithKaren.Peter’sgrandfatheriscalled to come and pick up Karen andPeter.

The names of patients and family members have been changed.

as a result of the patient mapping project we have:

• Changed the surgery gowns patients wear.

• Changed admission procedures so that patients aren’t moved around as much before surgery.

• Kept carers better informed of how long surgery is likely to take.

Medicine for the mouth? Nicole’s a specialistWhat does an oral medicine specialist do?

Nicole: We diagnose and treat diseases of the skin of the mouth, such as ulceration and oral cancer, and look after people who have chronic facial pain which is not related to their teeth, such as problems with the jaw joint.

Why did you choose to become an oral medicine specialist?

Nicole: I chose oral medicine because of its close ties to medical research and because there is a lot of patient contact and consultation.

Do you perform any surgery?

Nicole: We perform minor soft-tissuebiopsies.Larger surgical procedures are referred to our oral surgeons, who are specialistsinthisfield.

How is your unit improving care for your patients?

Nicole: We have recently set up a clinic in our unit for the early detection of oral cancer. It combines staff from both the oral medicine and oral surgery units, so that specialists from both areas can review cases together. Oral cancer is a dangerous disease, but it can be treated if it is diagnosed early enough.

How do people know if they need to see an oral medicine specialist?

Nicole:Manypeoplewillnever need to see an oral medicine specialist. Those people who do are referred by their dentist or doctor.

after nine years as a private practice dentist, in 1998 Dr Nicole Heaphy returned to her first training ground, The Royal Dental of Hospital Melbourne, to become a specialist in oral medicine.

She completed a masters degree in oral medicine and oral pathology, and today heads the dental hospital’s oral medicine unit.

Reviewed and revised patient information materials to make them easier to read.

Assistedwiththerecruitment oftwoAboriginalCommunity Development Workers.

PresentedattheNational Safety and Quality in Healthcare Forum.

Developedoralhealthbriefing information for Community AdvisoryCommitteemembers and other committee members to help them participate in clinical and management discussions.

Represented consumer interests on the DHSV committee for quality and safety.

Assistedthequalityimprovement team with its revision of mechanisms to receive compliments and complaints.

Promotedthesigningofthe VictorianCommunityAccordwith theco-occupantsofTheRoyal DentalHospitalofMelbourne building:theMelbourneDental SchoolandRMITuniversity.

Promotedtheunveilingofaplaque acknowledging the Wurundjeri people as the traditional owners of the land where The Royal Dental HospitalMelbourneislocated.

Organised community participation training for DHSV’s senior managers.

Recent achievements of our Community Advisory Committee

Community Advisory Committee meets round the table TheCommunityAdvisoryCommittee at Dental Health Services Victoria is a group of individuals from the Victorian community who help keep the organisation informed of what consumers want and need from public oral health services.

One of the ways that the committee hears about consumer interests is through annual roundtable meetings. Its most recent roundtable meeting was with staff and patients from community dental clinics -theseclinicsarebasedin local health centres and hospitals and provide oral health care to people of all ages. The role of Dental Health Services Victoria is to assist these clinics to deliver high quality care, and to plan the best ways of meeting patient needs.

CommunityAdvisoryCommittee member PeterMartinsaysthatthe roundtable discussion with community clinics wasextremelyhelpful.

“We got a better understanding of how consumers can have input to their local dental services, and what issues were most important to them. Not surprisingly, good quality treatment in a timely manner is what people want – wherever they live. Our job on the committee is to work with Dental Health Services Victoria to try and address these needs.”



C hief Radiographer Julie Bain and her colleagues in the

x-raydepartmentatTheRoyal Dental Hospital ofMelbournepridethemselves on providing qualityx-raysforpeoplewith disabilities and special needs.

“We try to take away thestressandanxietyfor patients,” says Julie. “Andgetthegood,clearx-rayimagesthatdentistsneed to plan patients’ treatment.”

X-rayfacilitiesatthedental hospital have been set up to accommodate people with disabilities.

Julieexplains:“Whenthe hospital moved to the new location in Swanston Street, we took the opportunity to get appropriately designed x-rayequipmentandtoplan the layout of the x-rayrooms.Thismeans

we can keep most people in their own wheelchairs, even the big electric ones, and we have the space for patients to sit or lie in positions that are comfortable for them and that give us room to take thex-ray.”

The skill and commitment of Julie’s team is recognised not only in Victoria, but also interstate. Erin, a young woman from Western Australia,wasreferredto the dental hospital forx-raysafterpreviousattempts had been unsuccessful. Erin has mild cerebral palsy and an acquired brain injury which occurred during surgery when she was young. She is also very anxiouswhenitcomestoany medical procedure.

To the great relief of Erin’s parents, Julie and her team were able to takethex-raysrequiredwithout causing Erin any distress.

It is more than just good facilities that makes thehospital’sx-raydepartment so effective -it’sbeingflexibleandfindingwhatworksbestfor each patient.

“We continuously try to think outside the square, tofindwaysofworkingwith every patient, whatever their needs. I think this is why we can often achieve outcomes that haven’t been possible elsewhere.”

Julie’s extra patience for special patients

Our credentialsall clinical staff at DHSV undergo rigorous checks before they can treat patients.

Qualificationsandprofessionalstandingare verifiedbeforeastaffmemberisappointed.

Referee checks are carried out.

Professionalregistrationischeckedeachyear and reported to the Board of Dental Health Services Victoria.

The type of procedures that can be performed by eachclinicianareapprovedbyanexpertpanel andreviewedeveryfiveyears.

The performance of clinicians is monitored.

This process meets the national standard of the AustralianCouncilforSafetyandQualityinHealthCare, and the Victorian government’s policy for credentialinganddefiningthescopeofclinical practice for medical practitioners in health services.

Dear Julie,

I write to thank you for the caring and professional manner you and your staff extended to our daughter during a recent visit to your department.

It was a pleasure to watch you and Catherine work with Erin. Immediately, it was obvious that you both have a good understanding of working with people with disabilities, gaining a level of cooperation not often seen with Erin and we emerged with clear films, a happy young lady and an unstressed mother.

Please pass on our sincere thanks to all your staff for a most positive experience.

Kind regards,

Diane and Roger

Top Tips

Julie finds ways of working with every patient whatever their needs.

From our Principal Oral Health Advisor


ChildhoodThe biggest oral health risk for children is tooth decay, but it can be prevented with good eating and brushing habits.

Top tips:• Onlyputwater,milk or formula in baby bottles-andnever put children to bed with a bottle.

• Avoidsugaryfoods and drinks, including fruit juice and cordial.

• Helpchildrentobrush their teeth properly up until the age of 6 or 7 when they can start doing it themselves.

• Fromthetime children’steethfirst appear (about 6 months) until around17months, clean teeth without toothpaste with a softchild-sized toothbrush.

• Forchildrenaged18 months to 6 years, brush teeth twice a day with toothpaste containing0.4-0.55 mg/goffluoride.use apea-sizedamountof toothpasteonachild- sizedsofttoothbrush- encourage children to spit out, not swallow, and not rinse.

• Childrenaged6and over should brush their teeth at least twice a day with a standardfluoride toothpaste containing 1mg/gfluoride.

• Makesurekidsdrink plentyoffluoridated water, especially after eating treats.

Teenage yearsAdolescentsandyoungadults are at risk of falling into poor eating habits as they become more independent. They are also at greater risk of tooth damage through accidents and sports injuries.

Top tips:• Avoidfizzyand sportsdrinks-the acid in these can damage tooth enamel.

• Drinkplentyof fluoridatedwater each day.

• Wearamouthguard when playing contact sport.

• Don’tmissyourdental appointments, even if your teeth and gums feelfine.

adulthoodAswegetolder,ifweeatwell and clean our teeth properly, tooth decay is less of a problem for us. But gum disease, also known as periodontitis, becomes more common after the age of 40.

Top tips:• Maintainhealthy gums by brushing teeth twice daily with afluoridetoothpaste.

• Don’tsmoke–this increases the risk of gum disease.

• Bleedinggumscan be a sign of early disease. This can be cured with good cleaning-besureto mention any gum bleeding or swelling to your dental care provider.

• Becarefulifyou choose to have your teeth whitened or bleached – this can weaken tooth enamel.

elderly peopleIt’s important not to forget about our oral health as we get older, even though we might have other health issues to deal with.

Top tips:• Makesureteethare cleaned properly morning and night.

• usinganelectric toothbrush can make brushing easier, especially for people with arthritis.

• Removedenturesat night and clean daily.

• Rememberthata healthy mouth can help reduce the risk of other health problems, including heart disease.

Whatever your ageGoodeating,drinkingandbrushing habits will help keepyourmouth-andthe rest of your body – healthy.

• Brushteethtwice adaywithafluoride toothpaste.

• Avoidsugaryfoods and drinks.

• Drinkplentyof fluoridatedwater.

Top Tips

Professor Mike Morgan, Principal Oral Health

Advisor at Dental Health Services Victoria, gives

his top tips for good oral health for all ages.

Mike is a dentist and holds the Colgate Chair of Population

Oral Health at The University of Melbourne.

From our Principal Oral Health Advisor


Dental Health Services Victoria is the state’s leading public oral health agency, promoting oral health, purchasing services and providing care to Victorians. GPO Box 1273L, Melbourne, Victoria 3001. Tel: (03) 9341 1200 Note: These are 2009 fees and are subject to change.

Type of service Who can use it? Where? How much do i pay?

adultsCheck-upsandadviceCleaningFillingsExtractions

Health care and pensioner concession cardholders

Community dental clinicsand The Royal Dental Hospital ofMelbourne

$23pervisit,uptoamaximumof$92for a course of care.

Children and youth Check-upsandadvice every1-2yearsDental sealants to prevent decayCleaning Fillings

Allchildrenaged12yearsandunder.

Children and adolescents between 12yearsand17yearsiftheyortheirparents hold a current health care or pensioner concession card.

Community dental clinics

Free for children and adolescents if they or their parents hold a current health care or pensioner card. Childrenaged12yearsandunderwhoseparents don’t hold a concession card pay afeeof$28perchild(maximum$112perfamily) per course of care. Children and adolescents without a concession card may be eligible for free treatment in some circumstances. Visit www.dhsv.org.au or ring 1300360054tocheckeligibility.

emergencies AllVictorians Community dental clinics and The Royal Dental Hospital ofMelbourne

$23forhealthcareandpensionerconcessioncard holders.

Non-concessioncardholdersmakea pre-paymentof$100,withtotalcost based on dental need.

Dentures Health care and pensioner concession cardholders

Community dental clinics and The Royal Dental Hospital ofMelbourne

upto$115forafull(upperandlower) acrylic denture.

Specialist careOrthodonticsOralandmaxillofacialsurgeryEndodonticsPeriodonticsProsthodonticsPaediatricdentistryOral medicine

Health care and pensioner concession cardholders and their dependants who have been referred by their dentist.

The Royal Dental Hospital ofMelbourne

Depends on treatment needs. Cost will bediscussedatyourfirstappointment.

Special needs Care is available to children and adults with special needs. Talk to your local clinic for more details.

The Royal Dental Hospital ofMelbourneand some community dental clinics.

Depends on treatment needs. Cost will bediscussedatyourfirstappointment.

Student clinic youmaybeeligiblefortreatmentby a dental student under the supervision of a senior dental professional.

To make an appointment to assess yoursuitabilitycall(03)93411168

The Royal Dental Hospital ofMelbourne

Free for health care and pensioner concession cardholders.

SeRViCe DiReCTORy In an emergency call 1300 360 054

locations• Tofindyourclosestcommunitydentalcliniccall 1300 360 054 or go to www.dhsv.org.au• TheRoyalDentalHospitalofMelbourne 720 Swanston Street, Carlton |Phone:(03)93411200 Disabled parking spaces are available on Lynch Street (aone-waylaneoffCardiganStreet)inCarlton.Enterthe lane from Cardigan Street and the disabled parking bays are on the left.

HoursThe Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne Appointments: Mon-Fri,8.30am-5.00pmEmergencies: Mon-Fri,8.30am-9.15pmWeekendsandpublicholidays,9.00am-9.15pm

Community dental clinics Check with your clinic.

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